Girdle.



PATENTED SEPT. 24, 19.07.

G. B. MARKBLL.

GIRDLE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1907.

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7n: NORRIS PETERS CO4, wlsumsrou, n. c,

GRACE E. MARKELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GIRDLE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed January 25,1907. Serial No. 353,969.

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,,GRACE E. MARKE'LL, a citizen of the United States,residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Girdles, of which the followingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a flexible girdle especially designed andadapted to be worn by ladies in place i of the usual corsets, girdles orcorset waists, and has i and abdomen.

for its object to provide a flexible girdle, which is capable ofadapting itself to'the form of the wearer without interfering with thefree use and exercise ofthe muscles shaped to embrace and fit the waistof the wearer, and

which is provided with straps or loops to engage the shoulders andthereby support the girdle and parts attached to it from the shoulders,thus leaving the muscles of the waist, chest and abdomen free to bemoved without restraint.

i The girdle may be provided with devices for attaching thereto theusual hose supporters.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a suflicient' portion of the figure of a ladyprovided with a girdle embodying this invention to enable it tobeunderstood, and Fig. 2, a developed view of the girdle shown in Fig.1, on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings a represents a girdle em bodying thisinvention, which is made of cloth or other flexible material andpreferably in sections 3, 4, 5 and 6; which are stitched together. Thesections 3, 4, 5 and 6 are provided with curved or inclined upper andlower edges, and with inclined ends or sides and the sections 3, 6 aremade at their free ends of a width substantially equal to the width ofthe girdle at its center.

The intermediate sections 4, 5, have their upper edge composed of twocurves or inclines '7, 8, which extend from the points 9, 10, inopposite directions, and the sides or ends 12 of the said sections areinclined downward away from the upper edge and diverge so as to leave orform a fullness, which is represented by the shade lines 13, and whichenables the girdle to conform to and fit the body of the wearer. Theupper edges of the end sections 3, 6 are also provided with oppositelyextending curves 14, 15, which meet in the points 16, 17, and extend inopposite directions therefrom.

The girdle is provided with shoulder straps 18, 19,

the ends of the strap 18 being attached to the sections 3, 4, at thehigh points 16, 19 of the same, and the ends of the strap 19 beingattached to the sections 5, 6, at the high points 10, 17 of the same.The girdle is provided with means for fastening its ends together, andin the present instance, one end of the girdle is provided with a seriesof buttons 20, which are adapted to engage corresponding buttonholes 21in the other end. The girdle may also be provided on its lower edge withbuttons 22 or other devices for attaching to the girdle supporters 23for the hose. 23 may be of any desired or suitable construction, such asnow commonly used by ladies and girls.

' It will be observed that the lower edge of the girdle is made in twocurves, which extend in opposite directions from near the center of thegirdle toward its opposite ends, which enables the girdle to conform toand fit over the hips of the wearer, while its upper edge is providedwith a plurality of curves to conform to the shape of the body of thewearer and especially to the bust portion thereof, and further that theback sections being cut on the bias imparts to the girdle at the back afullness, which is indicated by the shade lines 13 in Fig. 2, and whichenables the girdle to conform to and fit the back of the wearer.

It will also be observed, that the girdle is made substantially narrowto embrace the waist of the wearer below the bust, and thereby leave themuscles of the body of the wearer free to move without restraint, whileat the same time, the weight of the garments attached to the girdle issupported from the shoulders, (see Fig. 1), and the body of the weareris relieved from the weight of said garments, which especiallyrecommends the girdle for use by ladies and girls in physical cultureexercises and games, such as golf, tennis, etc., and further to invalidsand convalescents at home or in hospitals.

vIt will also be observed that the girdle is made of flexible material,such as cotton cloth, and is free to respond to all movements of thebody, as it is'not restrained by stays and like pieces. I

The girdle furthermore is especially applicable for use by ladies inswimming, inasmuch as it affords a support for the hose from theshoulders, while permitting perfect freedom and stretch of the muscles.

It will be observed that each shoulder strap is secured at its ends toadjacent sections on the same side of the center of the girdle, that theinclines or curves 15 are materially longer than the inclines or curves7,

The supporters and that the ends of the shoulder straps are fastened tothe high points ofsaid curves or inclines, with the result that when thegirdle is applied to the waist and the straps to the shoulders, thepoint of attachment of the shoulder straps to the end sections comes tothe front of the wearer as clearly represented in Fig. 1, therebyobtaining the proper and desired support from the shoulders.

Claims.

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a substantially narrow girdleof flexible material capable of embracing the waist of the wearer andhaving its free ends of substantially ,the same width as the girdle atthe center of the back portion, the upper edge of said girdle onopposite sides of the center having substantially short inclines orcurves nearthe center of the girdle and longer inclines or curves nearthe free ends of said girdle, and shoulder straps located on oppositesides of the center of the girdle and having their ends secured ator-near the high parts of the inclines or curves on the same side of thecenter of said girdle, substantially as described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a girdle of flexible materialcomposed of substantially narrow center sections to engage the backportion of the waist of the wearer and having inclined upper edges anddiverging side edges, end sections of a width at their free ends sulrstantially equal to the back sections at the center of the girdle andhaving upper edges inclined in opposite direc tions, means to securetogether the free ends of said end sections, and shoulder straps, eachhaving one end secured to a back section and its other end to the endsection on the same side of the center line of the back portion of thegirdle and substantially near the high parts of the upper edges of saidsections, substantially as described.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, a girdle of flexible materialcomposed of end sections provided with means for fastening themtogether, and having their upper edges inclined in opposite directionsfrom a point intermediate the ends of said sections, intermediatesections having diverging side edges, which are stitched tocorresponding edges of the end sections, and have their upper edgesinclined in opposite directions from a point intermediate their ends,shoulder straps having one end fastened to the high point of said endsections and their other end fastened to the high point of theintermediate sections adjacent to them, substantially as described.

4. As an improved article of manufacture, a substan tially narrow girdleof flexible material capable of embracing the waist of the wearer andhaving its free ends of substantially the same width as the girdle atits center, said girdle having its lower edge curved from at or near itscenter toward its free ends, and having its upper edge provided near itscenter with substantially short inclines or curves extended in oppositedirections and having longer curves or inclines near its free ends, andshoulder straps, each secured at its ends on the same side of the centerof the girdle and at or near the high parts of the inclines or curves,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my nameto this specification in thepresence of: two subscribing witnesses.

GRACE E. MAnKitLL.

Witnesses JAS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

